How Integrative Therapy Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure

Medication may be needed if you have high blood pressure, but there are other ways to feel better that don’t require a pill.

 

High blood pressure (hypertension) affects almost half of all adults in the United States. If left uncontrolled, hypertension can lead to serious health problems like heart attack and stroke. Blood pressure is usually managed with lifestyle changes and antihypertensive medication when appropriate.  But integrative therapies, such as meditation, yoga, and biofeedback can also help you manage blood pressure and improve your overall health.
A non-mainstream practice used together with conventional medicine is considered "complementary." If a non-mainstream practice is used in place of conventional medicine, it's called "alternative." Integrative therapy focuses on the "whole person" to improve health and wellness rather than just treat physical aspects of a disease or illness.

“Integrative therapy is about blending the best of conventional therapy like medication with the best of other therapies like yoga, meditation, and aerobic exercise,” says Leena Guptha, DO, an osteopathic doctor and the academic dean of graduate studies at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, California. “With blood pressure, it’s always a good idea to try natural approaches first and then add on prescription medication if needed.”

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4 Types of Integrative Therapy to Help Lower Blood Pressure

Research has shown that some mind and body practices like yoga may help reduce blood pressure. For example, a study published in September 2017 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine demonstrated that meditation and yoga can decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure — the top and bottom numbers in a blood pressure reading, respectively. In 2013, a report by the American Heart Association stated that biofeedback and transcendental meditation, in addition to conventional medication, can also help people lower their blood pressure.
Experts do not fully understand how integrative therapies help reduce blood pressure, but stress is thought to play an important role in hypertension. That’s why stress reduction exercises are important. When you’re stressed, you’re not functioning at your best. You don’t breathe as well, and that creates tension in the body. Ongoing tension in the body (and mind) can lead to more stress, anxiety, and depression. These factors put you at higher risk for developing various health problems like high blood pressure, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes.
There are many ways to reduce stress, which can help to reduce blood pressure.
1. Yoga Improves Heart Health by Relaxing Body and Mind
Yoga is a mind and body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy. Although there are various types of yoga, most yoga styles combine physical postures, breathing techniques, and aspects of meditation or relaxation.
“Any type of yoga that helps you slow down will be helpful for people with high blood pressure,” says Christine Naoum-Heffernan, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner at Boston Medical Center and an instructor at Regis College in Boston. She notes that people with high blood pressure should avoid power yoga or heated yoga. In general, if you have high blood pressure, anything that is strenuous or involves inversion poses is not a good idea because it will increase stress and pressure on your body.
Along with lowering blood pressure, yoga also helps increase lung capacity, improves respiratory function, and boosts circulation, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
2. Meditation Enhances Overall Well-Being
In a September 2017 statement by the AHA, experts agreed that “meditation may decrease the risk of heart disease.” But more research is needed to validate this conclusion. Small studies that have been conducted on the benefits of meditation for heart health show that meditation helps people calm down mentally and relax physically. It also helps people improve their psychological balance, cope with illness, and enhance their overall health and well-being. There are many types of meditation, but all have four elements in common:

1. A quiet location with as few distractions as possible
2. A comfortable posture like sitting or lying down
3. Focused attention. For example, you’ll focus on a word, an object, or your breathing.
4. An open attitude. This means letting distractions come and go naturally without judgment.

3. Deep-Breathing Exercises Slow Down Heart Rate
Deep breathing is another great way to lower high blood pressure. One technique you can learn to properly breathe more deeply is four-square, or box, breathing. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and pause for four seconds. You can repeat this exercise four times to help reset your nervous system.
“Your heart rate slows down and your blood pressure goes down,” says Naoum-Heffernan. “This technique helps you manage your own bodily functions. This is the concept behind biofeedback.”
A study published in August 2017 in Frontiers in Public Health showed that resonance frequency breathing, or breathing at approximately six breaths per minute, increased positive mood and lowered systolic blood pressure.
4. Biofeedback Can Help Guide You Through Relaxation
Biofeedback is a technique in which bodily functions are measured and you use the information to train yourself to control them. Patches, or electrodes, are placed on different parts of your body to measure your heart rate, blood pressure, and other functions. Biofeedback can be done by yourself at home using a smartphone app like iBiofeedback or a computer, or with a healthcare provider in an office setting.
For example, your healthcare provider may describe a situation and guide you through relaxation techniques. The monitor lets you see how your heart rate and blood pressure change in response to being stressed or remaining relaxed. By participating in biofeedback, you feel more relaxed or more able to cause specific muscle relaxation processes.
“There are minimal side effects with integrative therapies, and they work, but it takes time,” says Naoum-Heffernan. “It’s not a quick fix. Integrative therapies are about empowering you to learn about your body and fix it in a different way.”
Naoum-Heffernan recommends that people think of integrative therapies as a puzzle. There are many pieces and various ways to approach health; you have to find what’s right for you to lower your blood pressure.

Does Insurance Cover Integrative Therapies?

In general, if you visit a board-certified medical doctor such as a primary care doctor or a specialist who also happens to practice integrative therapy, the visit can be billed to your health plan. However, every policy is different, so it's best to check your individual insurance policy to find out what's covered. Because integrative therapy practitioners tend to spend more time with patients and offer a wider set of services than is typically covered by insurance, some providers have chosen not to accept health insurance plans. In these cases, you may have to pay out of pocket.

How to Find an Integrative Therapy Provider

If you’re looking for a integrative therapy provider, you have a few options. You can tell your current doctor that you'd like to explore integrative therapies to treat high blood pressure. Your doctor may be able to refer you to resources or colleagues in the integrative therapy field. You can also visit the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine or American Holistic Nurses Association websites. Search under the "Find a Provider or Practitioner" tab.
Word of mouth is another way to get a good referral, so ask your friends and family members. Once you’ve identified a practitioner, be sure to ask about his or her educational background, certifications, professional affiliations, and if he or she is licensed by the state.
“Lifestyle changes and integrative therapies can definitely help lower blood pressure, but you have to be committed,” says Dr. Guptha. “It’s almost like a philosophy of living. The goal is to make these changes part of your everyday life.”